1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air powered water display nozzle unit that can project water from a pool.
2. Description of Related Art
Water fountains and water displays are frequently constructed to improve the aesthetics of a building or a park. Some water fountains are constructed to provide the constant relaxing sound of running water. Other water displays are provided to entertain or amuse the viewer. Exotic or sophisticated water displays are particularly captivating to an audience.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,852,801 and 4,978,066 issued to Fuller, et al. disclose water displays that include a number of nozzle units located in a pool of water. Each nozzle unit is coupled into a source of pressurized air by a computer controlled solenoid control valve. The introduction of pressurized air to the nozzle unit pushes the water within the nozzle out of the pool and into the ambient. The force of the pressurized air projects the water from the nozzle in a slug like manner. The computer can intermittently open different solenoids to create various water displays. The result is a number of streams or slugs of water that are projected in a vertical direction from the pool.
Each nozzle of the Fuller air powered water display systems has a one way flapper valve which allows water to flow into the nozzle units while preventing pressurized air from escaping the nozzles. The constant opening and closing of the flapper valves creates fatigue and ultimately the failure of the valve. It would therefore be desirable to provide an air powered water display nozzle unit that does not require a one-way flapper valve to introduce water into the nozzle.
The nozzle units are typically over 12 inches long and have a number of hoses that are plumbed into the nozzles. The nozzles and hoses are unsightly and subject to damage. It is therefore desirable to place a slab, also known as a paver, over the nozzle units. The paver has apertures aligned with the nozzles to allow the water to be projected from the pool. In addition to concealing the unsightly nozzles and hoses, the paver also hides the source of the water slugs, thereby providing an element of surprise to the viewer.
It is desirable to project the water slugs in an entirely vertical direction. A slug with a horizontal vector may fall outside of the pool and onto a viewer. For this reason it is preferable to construct the nozzle units so that the tip of the nozzle is essentially perpendicular with the surface of the water. Insuring the perpendicularity of the water surface and the nozzle increases the assembly time and cost of installing the system. It would therefore be desirable to have a nozzle unit which is easy to install and would be properly aligned within a paver of the pool. It would also be desirable to have an air powered nozzle unit which can be mounted to existing pool structures.